by John Bowering
Posts Tagged ‘Cross’
In the Cross of Christ I Glory
Posted in Crucifixion, Easter, God, tagged Cross, Crucifixion, Easter, Jesus, Poetry on March 20, 2013|
In the cross of Christ I glory,
Towering o’er the wrecks of time;
All the light of sacred story
Gathers round its head sublime.
When the woes of life o’ertake me,
Hopes deceive and fears annoy,
Never shall the cross forsake me:
Lo! It glows with peace and joy.
When the sun of bliss is beaming
Light and love upon my way,
From the cross the radiance streaming
Adds more lustre to the day.
Bane and blessing, pain and pleasure,
By the cross are sanctified;
Peace is there that knows no measure,
Joys that through all time abide.
When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
Posted in Crucifixion, Easter, God, hymns, Isaac Watts, tagged Cross, Easter, Hymns, Isaac Watts, poem, When I Survey the Wondrous Cross on March 6, 2013|
When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.
See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
His dying crimson, like a robe,
Spreads o’er His body on the tree;
Then I am dead to all the globe,
And all the globe is dead to me.
Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.
By Isaac Watts, 1674-1748
Easter – What are we really celebrating?
Posted in Bible, Easter, New Testament, tagged Cross, Easter, Jesus, New Testament on April 4, 2012|
In preparation for Easter, consider what those who know acknowledge the God who hung on the cross and rose from the dead are celebrating:
Sacrificial death – re-established relationship with God (God’s righteous standard was satisfied)
- Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.
- Leviticus 17:11 The life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.
- 2 Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
- Ephesians 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Payment for Sin
- Isaiah 53:12 He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.
Victory over Death
- Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
- 1 Peter 1:3-4 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,
The Righteousness and Justice of God towards Men
- Romans 3:21-26 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness
To Save a Thief
Posted in Bible, Crucifixion, Easter, New Testament, tagged Cross, Crucifixion, Easter, salvation, Thief on the cross on April 2, 2012|
Luke 23 recounts the story of Jesus hung on the cross between the two criminals, one on his right and the other on his left.
Then one of the criminals who was hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”
But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.”
Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”
And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” Luke 23:39-43
The thief’s relationship with God changed while he hung on the cross. The thief hanging on the other side never changed his position. We can only assume he will spend eternity separated from God in unspeakable torment and darkness.
One of the first fruits of Jesus’ crucifixion was the salvation of the one thief, a clear picture of God’s heart for the lost. He is never too busy with His “agenda” to save one lost soul. Even as He went to lay down His life to save all of humanity, He took time to save one wretched criminal even as his life was ebbing away.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!
Easter in Numbers?
Posted in Bible, Crucifixion, Easter, Old Testament, tagged Cross, Crucifixion, Easter, John 3, Numbers, Serpent on a pole on April 1, 2012|
Easter can surely be seen in Numbers, the 4th of the 5 books of the Pentateuch as the books of the law are often called.
Serpent on a pole
In Numbers 21, when the people had spoken against Moses and God, God sent fiery serpents among the people. The serpents bit the people and many died. When the Moses prayed for the LORD to have mercy on the people, God told Moses to make “a fiery serpent and put it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.” It was just as God had said. God provided an antidote to save those who were otherwise doomed.
We know that this story speaks of the Son of Man because Jesus tells Nicodemus in John 3 “as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” This time God was offering up His own son on a pole to save the lives of those who would believe.
The idea of a serpent on the pole being able to heal those who look on it seems too simple. It is the same with the cross. How simple is it? Jesus said that whoever believes in the Son of Man, will have eternal life. The cross was the way to get the attention of the lost and dying. “Look up here!” He said. “You can be saved!”
Jesus foretold his own death by crucifixion. In John 12, it is recorded that Jesus said, “If I am lifted up from the earth, [I] will draw all peoples to Myself.” It goes on to say in the verse following, just so no doubt is left in the reader’s mind, “This He said, signifying by what death He would die.”
Easter in Numbers.
The Wonderful Cross by Chris Tomlin
Posted in Crucifixion, Easter, tagged Cross, Crucifixion, Jesus on March 31, 2012|
“The Wonderful Cross”
When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of Glory died
My richest gain I count but loss
And pour contempt on all my pride
On which the Prince of Glory died
My richest gain I count but loss
And pour contempt on all my pride
See from his head, his hands, his feet
Sorrow and love flow mingled down
Did ever such love and sorrow meet
Or thorns compose so rich a crown
O the wonderful cross, O the wonderful cross
Bids me come and die and find that I may truly live
O the wonderful cross, O the wonderful cross
All who gather here by grace draw near and bless
Your name
Were the whole realm of nature mine
That were an offering far too small
Love so amazing, so divine
Demands my soul, my life, my all
Easter – Why Crucifixion?
Posted in Bible, Crucifixion, Easter, New Testament, tagged Cross, Crucifixion, Easter, Jesus, New Testament on March 30, 2012|
Why did Jesus need to be hung on a wooden cross?
Crucifixion was a Roman convention, not something provided for by Jewish law. As a matter of fact, the Bible teaches “cursed is anyone who hangs on a tree.” Deut. 21:23. So why would the Jewish Messiah, the anointed one of God, be crucified on a wooden cross?
- To Fulfill Prophecy – The Psalmist speaks of crucifixion in Psalm 22, a psalm which clearly speaks of Jesus, “for dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet.” Other scriptures in Psalm 34:20, Zechariah 12:10, and Isaiah 53 all foretell of the trial and crucifixion of Jesus.
- To Illustrate the Suffering that Sin Brings – Jesus suffered on the cross. We know this because in Matthew and Mark’s gospels, they record Jesus’ last words as “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” These words speak of great torment and suffering, of the soul searching in vain for God. And so it will be with the sinner who fails to appropriate the blood shed at Calvary to his or her own sin. If you fail to accept the sacrifice of Jesus as sufficient and apply it to your life through repentance and confession of Him as Lord and Savior, you have an ongoing sin problem. How will you, in your sin, approach a Holy God? No promise of heaven is given to those not covered by the blood of Jesus, only a promise of eternal separation from God. Eternal life is a certainty. The only uncertainty is where it will be spent.
- Because Blood Alone Makes Atonement for the Soul – The most important reason for the crucifixion was the shedding of the blood. According to Leviticus 17:11, “the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.” Walk with me down the Romans road: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Rom. 3:23 “There is none righteous, no, not one.” Rom. 3:10 “The wages of sin is death.” Rom. 6:23 Add to that the statement from Leviticus, “the blood . . . makes atonement for the soul.” There is only one conclusion to be reached; there had to be a sacrifice, a blood sacrifice. Someone had to die that I might live . . . that you might live. Who would be the sacrificial offering (the propitiation) for my sin? for your sin? Who could meet the perfection standard outlined in God’s law? Who would be without blemish, without sin? Whose blood would be able to wash me . . . to wash you white as snow? Only Jesus! Crucifixion was necessary because our sin separated us from God, and God desired to be in fellowship with us. God so loved the world . . . God so loved me . . . God so loved you . . . blood had to be shed. Unless you lived a sinless life and met the law of God in every point, you also need Jesus to have died on the cross, to have shed His precious blood. Jesus was crucified, suffered, and bled because of me . . . because of you.
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 4:10
Easter – Why on a cross?
Posted in Bible, Crucifixion, Easter, Gospels, Jesus, New Testament, tagged Bible, Cross, Crucifixion, Easter, New Testament on March 29, 2012| 1 Comment »
Ever wonder why the image of the cross figures so predominantly in the New Testament. It’s more than the obvious – Jesus died on a cross.
Mark 5:34 records Jesus speaking, “Whoever desires to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” When Jesus made this statement, he hadn’t gone to the cross yet.
John Stott says “becoming a Christian involves a change so radical that no imagery can do it justice except death and resurrection – dying to the old life of self-centeredness and rising to new life of holiness and love.”
In Galatians 5:24, Paul writes “those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh of its passions and desires.”
In Romans 6:6, he says, “our old man was crucified with Him.” He repeats the imagery of the cross and death on the cross to speak of living a life of self-denial – death to self.
Often people think that their “cross” is the trial or persecution they are undergoing. The trials are not the cross. The trials function to strengthen one to carry his or her cross. The cross is the life of self-denial, the laying down of one’s own life for the furtherance of the gospel.
As a Christian, I am best described as “dead man walking” since I must carry the instrument of my own execution, the cross. I must die, so He might live through me. By this great miracle, others will see Him and His glory and be drawn to Him. Thus, the gospel is spread.
Father, make me to be dead to self and alive to Your Spirit. May Easter remind me of how that fully-surrendered life appears.
Rooted and Grounded 